The Shovel Discussion Thread!

I owned a landscaping company years ago and I hated new shovels. I did a lot of digging, so the shovel blade became sharp and polished by heavy use. I used mostly Union Razorback #5 shovels. The nursery spade was necessary when I found wholesale growers that would offer a very good price if I dug up my own trees and shrubs. I preferred bagged and balled stock over container stock if available. That was back breaking work, but I loved it.
 
Yeah, but they don't stay very sharp. I leave a 1/32" wide edge on dirt tools. Less than that will just roll.

How long is that shovel, Charlie_K? It looks useful.
 
Square_peg said:
Yeah, but they don't stay very sharp. I leave a 1/32" wide edge on dirt tools. Less than that will just roll.

How long is that shovel, Charlie_K? It looks useful.
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Yup! Same here. Sharp for a dirt tool is different from sharp for a knife, for sure. :)

Charlie_K--a good mod for roundpoint shovels is to cut the tip with a cutoff wheel so there's about 1.5" at the point that's flat straight across, then sharpen it (shovel-sharp) and it'll chop roots without glancing off. It doesn't reduce penetration by much either.
 
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Square_peg said:
Here's something a little different for the shovel thread. Yesterday I picked up a proper English digging fork. The ones I find in local hardware stores all have flimsy welded tines. A good English fork should have cast steel or forged tines. This one is make by Jenks & Cattell. It had a 'Y' handle which is split and bent out for the hand grip.

Jenks-Cattell%201.jpg
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I finally got that old fork cleaned up and refinished. Turned out to be a real looker.

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It has nice heavy tines and a really skookum connection to the oak handle.

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But my favorite part of this fork is the D handle. They split and steam bent the oak. A little tung oil really brought this thing back to life.

Fork%204.jpg
 
Showing some love for the cheap poorly built long handle spade.

Not ashamed to admit that I'm happy with my $14 True Temper. I didn't realize it was such a poorly made pile of crap till I read this thread and after surviving some of what I put it though I guess it didn't either.

I'm a big fan of long handled spades they cut into the earth well have a point for prying rocks and a long handle for leverage. Has to be a wood handle for me I like the flex and the feel and the one thing I miss is the old tapered handles that seem to be going out of style in favor of steel and fiberglass handles. My shovel has very little tapper to it other than that it was cheap and it takes a beating gets put away wet and begs for more. What more could I ask for?

My best friend and I argue every time we break out the shovels. He likes a D handle and I like a long handle. At the end of the day when you have crap that needs to be moved from one location to another it's the way to go.

My junker moved a few hundred pounds at least of dirt water grass roots and weeds yesterday into my trusty wheelbarrow. More of the same planned for tonight.

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Cheap shovels work fine and dandy, which is why there are so many of them on the market. Using a truly top-notch shovel, however, is like night and day. :)
 
Lots of things, honestly, but generally the more attention to detail the better. Things like closed backs, forward turned steps, just the right degree of lift to the blade, clean riveting work, welded sockets, extended reinforcements, tapered blades, etc. etc.
 
bearhunter said:
today i ordered two old german military surplus folding trench shovels with the pick... got primarily for the vehicles/snowmobiles...
im planning on 'restoring' them... i just like the old wooden handle... it come down to between the austrian or german...
i like the pick on the german, it should come in handy around here in the winter, busting thru ice and such...
i'll post before and after pics once i get them ready...

what do you fellows think about them? anyone here have any experience with them?
thoughts, good and bad would be appriciated...
thanks...
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I'll just echo that they are very sturdy and well built. "Built like a tank" is over-used, but in this case it really is appropriate. I wouldn't take one on a backpacking trip though. Very heavy. I think that weight comes in handy when shovelling ... not when carrying.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Cheap shovels work fine and dandy, which is why there are so many of them on the market. Using a truly top-notch shovel, however, is like night and day. :)
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I'm going to pretend I didn't read any of this and just keep on enjoying my $14 spade. I know how this game works an innocent purchase leading into research a quest for the perfect tool and an empty wallet. ;)

Just figured the cheap workhorses could use some love in this thread.
 
Hacked said:
I'm going to pretend I didn't read any of this and just keep on enjoying my $14 spade. I know how this game works an innocent purchase leading into research a quest for the perfect tool and an empty wallet. ;)

Just figured the cheap workhorses could use some love in this thread.
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Awesome response dude.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Things like closed backs, forward turned steps, just the right degree of lift to the blade, clean riveting work, welded sockets, extended reinforcements, tapered blades, etc. etc.
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The first one on your list, closed backs, might be the most important. If you can find an old shovel with a closed back it's likely that the rest of it will have been done well, too. One other thing to look for is the thickness and toughness of the blade. The heavier blades are tougher.
 
Man, I miss this kind shown in the picture up there. It's what we always used for watering, digging head-rows and everything, digging in stone hard sun backed ground sometimes after working it with a pick.
Not part of the scene here in the swamplands, but they sure could use one.

E.DB.
 
Put handles on a couple of heads for Camping.
First one is an Osage limb that was all weathered, pic doesn't do it justice, and for the second I used Buckthorn with an Osage T.




anyone know this makers mark? Made in Germany



This is an Ames


 
Not quite a shovel but still in the spirit of the thread--I got some samples of various tools in from Seymour Mfg. including one of their American pattern eye hoes. The handle is made in the USA, but the head is forged in China--which would be a disappointment if the forging wasn't actually really quite good! Surprisingly the quality is very nice and I plan on picking some up for the shop. Good dimensions/proportions, heft, apparent steel quality, etc. all combine to make it a heck of a digging/weeding tool that I'm proud to own. Just wish their forks didn't suck, but that's a general problem with tool makers across the board these days. No one seems to be putting out a forged fork that's worth a damn.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
No one seems to be putting out a forged fork that's worth a damn.
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I haven't shopped for forks lately but a couple years ago there were still good forged English digging forks being made. Just checked Lee Valley and they don't stock them any more. Sad.
 
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